Jeffrey L. WilsonPCFerretThe free application PCFerret serves up an incredible amount of data about your PC, but it lacks real-time monitoring, a common feature that's found in competing system-information utilities.

Lacks real-time system monitoring and benchmarking tools. Exports data in only one file type.

Bottom Line

The free application PCFerret serves up an incredible amount of data about your PC, but it lacks real-time monitoring, a common feature that's found in competing system-information utilities.

If you're curious about the inner workings of your computer, PCFerret (free) makes it simple for you to retrieve an array of information about your machine. This Windows system-information utility scans your computer and displays an incredible amount of relevant data about it. PCFerret lacks HWInfo64's real-time system monitoring and PC Wizard's benchmarking tools, but its bountiful insights make it an application you should download for a closer look at your computer.

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Getting in Those GutsPCFerret is a simple application that scans your PC's components and displays the information it gleans. You can either run Quick System Details or Full System Details. Quick System Details offers a super-quick scan that reveals basic computer information such as the operating system and amount of RAM. Full System Details has a longer scan time (approximately 2 minutes on my laptop) but dives deeper, with more techie data, such as RAM speed and bits per pixel. Unfortunately, PCFerrert only lets you export reports in one format (.HTML) should you want to save the information for later. HWInfo64, PCMag's Editors' Choice for Windows system-information utilities, exports to six formats, including .HTML and .TXT.

The Full System Details scan gives you a lot of information to digest, but PCFerret's interface presents the data well. The layout is simple, clean, and easier on the eye than HWInfo64's two-window layout and PC Wizard's cluttered interface. That said, Speccy's attractive, minimalist interface is the best-looking among the system-information tools that I've tested.

More importantly, however, PCFerret is more stable than PC Wizard or Speccy. I got no error messages and no crashes when I tested it.

Some Highs, Some LowsPCFerret has a few cool features that make it stand out from other Windows system-information utilities. The application includes a password generator, a file analyzer for displaying relevant file information, and a Tor Browser Detector for times when you suspect someone may be doing stealthy, unsavory things on a computer. All the features worked well in my tests; PCFerret created an incredibly strong (and admittedly hard to remember) password, gave me thorough details on a Word doc (file size, creation date, and more), and detected an installed Tor Browser.

Unlike the other Windows system utilities I've tested, however, PCFerret lacks real-time system monitoring to keeps an eye on cores and clock speeds. It also lacks benchmarking tools and the ability to see which applications are resource hogs—two features that PC Wizard possesses.

Close, But No CigarPCFerret is an attractive Windows system-information utility that contains several intriguing extras, but they features feel more like cool add-ons than essential tools. The application lacks real-time monitoring (a feature that's commonplace in system-information utilities) and benchmarking tools—items that hardcore computer tweakers appreciate. Still, PCFerret is worth a download—it is free, after all. It's just not as good as HWInfo64, PCMag's Editors' Choice for system-information utilities.

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Bottom Line: The free application PCFerret serves up an incredible amount of data about your PC, but it lacks real-time monitoring, a common feature that's found in competing system-information utilities.

About the Author

For more than a decade, Jeffrey L. Wilson has penned gadget- and video game-related nerd-copy for a variety of publications, including 1UP, 2D-X, The Cask, Laptop, LifeStyler, Parenting, Sync, Wise Bread, and WWE. He now brings his knowledge and skillset to PCMag as Senior Analyst.
When he isn't staring at a monitor (or two) and churning out Web... See Full Bio

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